A reputation once destroyed is destroyed forever. Jimmy Swaggart was one of the leading evangelists in America until he was found with a prostitute. Barry Bonds, Mark Mcquire, and other baseball players who held multiple records were seen as superhuman, until they were found to be illegally...
Today we get back into our Catechism Sermon schedule at Zion Lutheran Church. Tonight we will meditate on the 1st commandment which says, "You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things." Why would God make such a demand? To...
Dear Saints, It is amazing how small Luther's Small Catechism is. There are six chief parts, along with the Table of Duties, prayers, and some questions in order to prepare yourself for the Lord's Supper. However greatly I desire to memorize this little book in order to...
Luther speaks of the 1st Petition of the Lord's Prayer saying, "Hallowed be Thy Name. What does this mean? God's Name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God's Name kept holy? God's Name is kept holy when the Word of God is...
Luther writes in the Small Catechism saying, "Our Father who are in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invited us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their...
Luther asserts the work of the Holy Spirit in the 3rd article of the Apostle's Creed and declares that there is no better title than the word, "Sanctification." Luther writes of the work of the Holy Spirit saying, "Neither you nor I could even know anything of Christ, or believe in Him and take...
We confess the 1st article of the Creed saying, "I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still...
Pray God He would your neighbor bless as you yourself wish success. Have mercy Lord! This is the closing for Luther's verse on the 9th and 10th commandments in his hymn, These Are the Holy Ten Commands. What is the 9th Commandment? You shall not covet your neighbor's house. What does this...
The 8th Commandment declares, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in...
The 7th Commandment says, "You shall not steal." What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor's money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income." In the Large Catechism, Luther has...